Actor and wrestling fan Paul Walter Hauser did not hold back when discussing WWE’s increasing ticket prices for live events during a recent interview with TMZ.com, calling out the company for putting corporate greed ahead of fans.
Hauser criticized the lack of “humanity” in WWE’s approach, pointing out how much more affordable tickets are for other wrestling promotions.
“Times are tougher than they used to be, but the prices are going up. There’s no real humanity from a corporate perspective,” Hauser said. “Whereas, you can go to an AEW show or an MLW show for 15 to 40 bucks and have a decent seat. That’s like Mr. Potter in It’s a Wonderful Life. You’re getting greedy and ugly. You’re being ugly by doing that.”
The actor acknowledged that companies often justify rising costs by citing obligations to shareholders but argued that corporations can and should do more to support everyday fans.
“I understand. ‘We have stockholders. We have shareholders.’ Be a real person, you dick. Like, be a real person. Do something. Hey, how about you do this? Netflix, how about you give a 30% off or 20% off coupon for the full year to military veterans? How about you do that? Do you care about the troops? Get two billion less dollars a year or whatever to give military families 30% off Netflix. These are things that people can easily do. They choose not to because they don’t actually give a sh*t.”
Hauser also pointed out that while top WWE stars like Cody Rhodes will continue to benefit financially from the company’s record profits, fans shouldn’t expect talent to speak up on the issue.
“Good for the shareholders. It’s good for Cody Rhodes, who’s only going to be making more and more money, you know? And by the way, he deserves it. But I’m just saying like you’re not going to hear the roster speak out in favor of the people because they’re benefiting from it.”
Hauser’s comments reflect a growing frustration among fans as ticket prices for WWE’s premium live events and televised shows continue to climb, even as demand for live wrestling remains at an all-time high.
